Carrie Willard

putting the HER back in motherhood

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February 15, 2016 by Carrie

Recent reads, Black History Month version

Linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy’s Quick Lit

A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenburg – Food. Family. Tragedy. Paris. Love. Is there anything else? I wanted to curl up in this book and never come out.

My local library had a table set up near the door with well-known black authors for Black History Month. I’m glad they did, because I grabbed a few titles I had been wanting to read for ages.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks – This book intrigued me since I first heard of it. Henrietta Lacks’ cells, collected without her knowledge or consent, cultured and used for countless medical experiments around the world since, have literally touched the medical history of nearly every person living today. And yet her surviving relatives have never seen a penny and can’t afford health insurance. What is wrong with this picture? This book saddened and angered me, but I’m glad I read it.

Another title filed under “why did I wait so long to read this”: Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Angelou is a brilliant storyteller, her words dripping like honey. Sensitive readers note: this memoir contains a PG-rated description of childhood sexual abuse. SPOILER: The good news is, the perp gets his in the end. I wanted this book to be longer, it ends rather abruptly at a high point.

Who wouldn’t be intrigued by a woman named Sojourner Truth? What an inspiration she was: for Blacks, for women, for all human beings who want to replace fear and prejudice in the world with compassion and faith. I finally know where the phrase Ain’t I a Woman? came from. Fascinating narrative.

 

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Filed Under: Books

About Carrie

Carrie writes about raising a large family frugally and simply, surviving a cult and healing from cPTSD. More about her here.

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Comments

  1. Jessica C says

    February 15, 2016 at 2:35 pm

    I’ve heard such great things about A Homemade Life — I need to reserve it at my library! Great List!

  2. Laura says

    February 15, 2016 at 4:30 pm

    I finally read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings this year too – wow, what a book. I listened to Angelou narrating and then read the rest in print. It shook me. I keep coming back to the vivid experiences she related and thinking about the power of being able to tell your own story, even (especially) for the oppressed.

  3. Jamie says

    February 15, 2016 at 5:47 pm

    I love your list is Black History Month specific. I want to read Caged Bird, too. Thanks for the heads up on graphic info.

  4. Caroline Starr Rose says

    February 15, 2016 at 10:36 pm

    Oh my gosh. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings ranks as a top five favorite for me. It’s worth it to keep reading all Maya Angelou’s memoirs. What a life!

  5. Becca @ The Earthling's Handbook says

    February 16, 2016 at 4:25 pm

    I loved The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks! It’s an amazing story, both the science aspect and the family aspect, and the way the author wove the two together is really interesting.

    Another story that’s fascinating although it’ll make you angry is The Dismissal of Miss Ruth Brown. Here’s my review.

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Welcome! I'm Carrie, and I write about raising my large family frugally as a single mom, mental health, and surviving a cult. I hope you find value here! Read more about me

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